Collapsible hog crate



W. E. PETTY.

COLLAPSIBLE H06 CRATE. APPLICATION FILED Aue.25, |920.

1 ,426, 3 l 5 Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

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am Fugv w. E.Y PETTY." COLLAPSIBLE HOG CRATE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.25,I920.

-'1,426 ,315.= PatentedAug. 15,1922r WILLIAM E, PETTY, 0F STORM LAKE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR T0 JENS IP OF NEWELL, IOWA.

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To all 'fw/tom t may concern:

Be it knownv that I, VILLIAM E. PETTY, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Storm Lalre, Buena Vista County,'lowa, have invented a new and useful Collapsible Hog Crate, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for av crate adapted to contain a hog, or other animal of similar size, which crate also is adapted to be collapsed orfolded for storage and transportation when not in use.`

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for a collapsible crate having means for including the ends thereof loosely between the sides thereof when said crate is collapsed or folded.

A further object of` this invention is to provide improved means for clamping opposite sides of a cratey yon end portions thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved slide-seat in a side v portion of a crate adapted to receive and contact with an end portion or gate.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- F igurev 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a side elevation ofthe improved crate assembled for use. v Figure 3 is a cross-section on the indicated line 3+-3 of Figure 1, certain pori tions being further 4broken away to reveal folded condition.

interior construction. Figure 4 is a horizontal section on'the indicated line 4 4 of Figure 2.A Figure 5 is an end view and Figure 6 a plan of the crate in collapsed or In the construction of the device as shown the numeral 10 designates a floor, which is provided with spaced cross-bars or cleats l1, 12 on its lower face. Notches 13, 14

' are formed in one side margin of the floor 10 and the adjacent ends of the cleats 11, 12 areshortened to the extent of the depth of said notches.- Notches 15, 16 are formed in the opposite margin of "thel floor 10 and i the adjacent end portions of the cleats 11', 12l

overlap and register vwith said notches to the 'margin of the floor. Aside member-,is constructed with slats 17, 18, l19 arranged parallel andspaced apart and connected by specification of Lettersratet. regnante@ Augof15, 1922, Application med August 25, 1920. kserial Nascavel. v 'M crossbars or cleats 20, 21 on their inner faces and also spaced apartidentical with the spacing of the cleats 11, 12. Lower end portions of the' cleats 20, 21 are adapted'to enter the notches 13, 14y in the floor and f'eX- tend across adjacent endportionsof the Erna GHRISTIENSN,

ycleats 11, 12 the slat 19 being adapted to r` contact with `and extend laterally across the adjacent side margin of the floorl and form a box-angle therewith. Adjacent end portions of'thecleats 11-20 and 12-21 are connected'by hinges, a 'pair ofthe hinges being employed. 'Each hinge is constructed of counterparty straps '22, 22 mounted on opposite marginal faces of the cleat 11 or 12, secured to said cleat r,by bolts 23, 23,` ek# tending across the notches 13', 14jand olfset slightly laway from the planes ofsaid faces, and straps 24, 24 of ylike construe? tion and form mounted on opposite marginal 'faces of the cleat 2O or 21, secured to said cleat by bolts 25, 25,ex'tending partiallyacross the notches 13,'14 between the olf-` set `portions of the straps 2222, a 'hingepin or bolt 26 pivotally connecting the over-- lapping portions of the straps and eXtend-v y v ing across the cleat 20 or 21, the straps'24," 24 being offset at l27 an amount substantially equal to the thickness vof the vfloor 10 to permit the side member and bottom member to be eXtended substantially in the v same, plane (Fig. 5). The shape ofl the' hinge straps 22, and the overlapping` of the cleats 20, 2l on the floor lO and "cleats 11, 12,l permits movement of the bottom member and side member relative'to each other in one direction to form am right anglebut' not to forman acute angle, whereby the side member may bearranged in a'fplane "per'pen, dicular to the plane of thebottom member (F ig. 3), in which position the bottom braces against the cleats 20, v21 and lends stability to theframe. i U-shaped metal loops'28, -29 are mounted in embracing" relation on,fand the closed central portions thereof-extend beyond the upper ends of the cleats 2()f,"21",vf

and saidloop's are'secured tothe sides lof the cleats by screws'30. Another side member is constructed with slats 31, 32, 33" ar'- ranged parallel and spaced apart and c`on.y nected by cross-bars or cleats" 34, 35 ontheir s inner faces also -spaced apart identicaly with 'thespacing of'thecleatsl l1, l2, 20. and-21.

Lower end portions of the cleats 34, 35 are' adapted to enter the notches 15,16 in ther. v

floor 10 and abut, at times,the upperafaces of end portions of the cleats ll, 12; the

slat 33 being adapted to contact with and extend laterally across the adjacent side margin of the floor and form a box-angle therewith. Strap-hinges 36, 37 are mounted on the inner faces of the cleats 34, 35, respectively, are spaced from the lower ends of said cleats an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the floor 10, and are secured to thel upper surface of the floor (Figs. 3' and 4). The loca-tion of the hinges 36, 37 and the abutting relations of the cleats, permits a movement of the side and bottom members relative to each other in one direction only from a right angle so that said members may be folded one on the other (Fig. 5) or extended with the side member in a plane perpendicular to that of the bottom member (Fig. 3) and, in the latter position said arrangement lends stability to the frame.

A cover member is constructed with slats 38, 39 arranged parallel and spaced apart and also spaced from the side members and materially lesslength than the floor 10 and slats of the side members, and cleats 40, 41

, on their inner faces, which cleats are of a length substantially corresponding with the width of the floor and extend, at'times, across the upper ends of the cleats 20, 21 and 34, 35. One end portion of the cleats 40, 41 is rounded on the lower side and is secured by hinges to the upper ends of the cleats 34, 35. These hinges are constructed with straps 42, 42 lying on opposite sides of the upper end portion of each cleat 34, 35 and secured thereto by screws 43 and overlapping the cleats 40, 41, and straps 44 44, lying` on opposite sides of the adjacent end portions of the cleats 40, 41, secured thereto by screws 45, olf-set vand overlapping the upper'ends of the straps 42, 42 and pivoted thereto by hinge-pins or bolts 46 extending through the overlapping portions of the straps and the adjacent cleat-end. The overlapping arrangement of the cleats 34, 35, 40 and 41 and the arrangement of the hinges connecting them, permits the cover member to be moved through an are of substantially ninety deT grees only. Thus is provision made for arranging the cover member in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the second side member, in which position it lends stability to the frame, or, for extending said members in substantially the same plane (Fig. 5) when the crate is folded or collapsed for storage or unused transportation. The end portions of the cleats 40, 41 are adapted to extend through the loops 28', 29 toan extent permitted by contact of said loops with one side margin of the slat 39 and latches 47, 48, of leaf-spring type, are

mounted in lgrooves 49 formed in the cleats beneath the central portions of said loops.

in their upper faces adapted to receive and engage the central portions of the loops 2S, 29 and prevent accidental withdrawal of the cleats 40, 41 from said loops. The slat 39 also is formed with transverse slots 51 opening through its lower face and adapted to receive the upper portion of each latch 47, or 48 at times and permit a range of movement thereof. |The detachable connection of the cover member to the lirst side member, through the interengagement of the cleats, loops and latches lends stability to the frame and prevents accidental movement of either or any member thereof relative to another. Pairs of cleats 52, 52-53, 53-54, 54-55, 55 are fixed to and extend across the inner'faces of end portions of the side members of the crate, being fixed to the slats of said side members, and the `units of each pair are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of any slat employed. f End gates are employed to close the ends of the crate and each is constructed with slats 56, 57, 53 arranged parallel and spaced apart and cleats 59, 60 extending across the inner faces of and connecting said slats, said cleats also being arranged parallel and spaced apart.

The end-gates are mounted on and perpendicular to end portions of the floor 10, the slats of the end-gates abutting the slats of the side members within the pairs of cleats 52, 53, 54, 55, which cleats prevent movement of the end-gates longitudinally of the side members. Metal wear-plates 61 are mounted on the slats of the side members of the crate and are overlaid at their mar.- gins by the cleats 52, 53, 54, 55, and said plates take the wear and strain of engage,- ment with ends of the slats of the end-gates. Tic-members are employed to connect end portions of the side members of the crate across the end-gates and each is constructed as follows: An eye-bolt 62 is mounted through registering holes in the outermost cleat 52 or 53 and the slat 32 and a link 63, formed with eyes64, 65 having their axes at right angles to each other, is pivoted by means of its eye 64 to the eye of the bolt.' fin eye-bolt 66, provided with a handle nut 67, is mounted through registering holes in the outermost cleat 54 or 55 and the slat 18 and a bar 68, formed with a hook 69-and eye 70 on its ends arranged at right angles with each other, is pivoted by mea-ns of its eye 70 to the eye of said bolt 66. rlhe side members of the crate may be connected by engaging the hooks 69 in the eye 65 and may be drawn tightly to end portions of the end-gates by strainapplied to the tie-meme bers through the handle nuts 67 to prevent accidental removal of the end-gates; and

movement of the handle-nuts to permit The latches 49 are formed with notches 5() manual removal of either end-gate. The tie- 130 35, 40 and 41 are of a thickness substantially double that ofthe floor and the slats of the end-gates. An angle-bar or slide seat 71 is mounted on each of the cleats 20, 21, 34 and 35 in such manner as to provide a rack or container, in conjunction with the slats of the side members, adapted to receive and retain the end-gates (see dotted lines 'in 1) when said end-gates are removed preparatory to collapsing or folding the crate. The end-gates may be vplaced or removed slidingly relative to the slide-seats 71 also whenv the other members arein folded position. Screw-hooks 72, two for each end of the crate, are mounted on the cleats 20 and 21 (Fig. 5) and are adapted to engage at times with eyes 73, in like number, mounted in the cleats 34, 35, 40 and 41. The screw eyes 73 and hooks 72 are provided to connect the members in folded or collapsedcondition and, when said members are so arranged and the end-gates are located in the slide-ways provided. said end-gates are held as in a clamp and the slats thereof are parallel with the slats of the side members and mismatched or staggered relative thereto. When the hooks 72 are released from the eyes 7 3, the end-gates may be slid to and fro into or out of the slide-seats 71 as desired. The crate may be moved and carried about in folded or collapsed condition by using the loops 28, 29 as handles.

When the crate is set up and connected for use, it presents a rigid, strong and wellventilated container with ajsolid floor forming closed angles with the sides and ends to prevent projection of legs or feet through the bottom, well adapted for retention and transportation of one or more hogs` or similar animals. collapsed it occupies materially lessv cubic space than when set up and hence is adapted for convenient and economical return transport, handling and storage, thus providing for repeated use vof a given' crate with much v saving in cost of material and labor.

I claim as my invention- 1. A collapsible crate having a solid bottom member, slatted side members hinged to the bottom member and adapted to form\ box-angles therewith, a cover member of less length than the bottom and side members hinged to one side member and slidingly engaging the other' side member, jointed tie-rods parallel with each other connecting the side members and end-gates removably and replaceably and slidingly mounted between the side members and also in a plane When the crate is folded or between that of the tie-rods vand that Iof the ends of thecover member andadapted to form box-angles with the bottom member. v 2. A collapsible crate khaving a bottom member formed with' notches in its side margins, sidefmembers hinged to the bot-` tom members and having cleats adapted to extend withinfsaid notches, a top v member hinged tovone side member and having sliding engagement withy the other side member, the side members-being formed vwith opposing slide-ways, 4end-gates slidingly mounted in said ways, and tie-members connectingsaid side members land adapted to clamp 'them yto the end-gates. I' 3. A -collapsible crate 'having 'aJ bottom member formed with notches 4in itssi-de margins and cleats extending to the notches at one end and across the notches at the other end, a side memberhinged to said bottom member and having cleats extending in some of said notches and across the adjacent ends of the bottom cleats, another side member hinged to the bottom member and having cleats extending through the remaining notches and abutting the projecting endportions of the bottom cleats, said side members being parallel with each other, a covermember hinged to one side member and slidingly engaging the other side member, and end-gates detachably mounted between said side members. e

4. A collapsible crate, vhaving a bottom member, side membersv hinged to the bottom member and a cover member hinged to one side member, said hinge connections adapting the crate to be folded with the bottom member and one side member in'one 1 plane and the cover member and other side member in another plane substantially parallel with the first plane, means for detachably connecting said members when so folded, and end-gates separate from and adapted to be mounted slidably between andparallel with said side members when in` folded positions.

5, A collapsible crate, having a bottom of loops on one side member, a cover member hinged tothe other side lmember and having cleats' adaptedto be embraced by said loops, jointed adjustable tie-rods parallel with each other connecting said side members across the space between them, and end-gates adapted to be mounted between and at right angles to said side members. 6. A collapsible crate, having a bottom member, side members hinged thereto, a pair of loops on one side member, a cover member hingedv to `the other side member and having cleats adapted.V to be embraced by said loops, latches connecting said cleats and loops, and end-gates adapted to be mount ed betweensaid side members.

7. A collapsible crate, having a bottom 4 member, side members hinged thereto, a pair member, side members hinged thereto, a cover member hinged to one side member and adapted to be connected with the other side member, seid side members being,` formed' with slide-ways, the cover member being of less length than and centrally located between the ends 01"' the side members, and end-gates adapted tofbe mounted in said slide-ways and extending` between the side members and also adapted to 'be moved across the plane and outside the ends of the cover member when said cover member is in closed position.

8. A Collapsible Crete, having' side members suitably connected and vformed with slideways, weer plates mounted thereon and forming the bottoms ofthe slide-ways, end- Polk ind State of owa, this 8th dey of July, 1920.

WILLIAM E. PETTY. 

